Customs officials are at a loss over the disappearance of a highly confidential file connected to the investigation of an alleged Rs. 800 million fraud that involves a major business chain owned by a highly influential individual, politically and financially.

One official on the condition of anonymity said “the file went missing a few days after our colleague, Sujith Perera was gunned down in 2002, on his way to office. The Customs was to prosecute the business establishment for under valuation, depriving the state of about Rs. 800 million in duties on importing expensive food stuffs like chocolate, biscuits, sauces and varieties of confectionery, distributed to star class hotels and super markets.”

A combined investigation by the CID and the Sri Lanka Customs gathered sufficient evidence to file a case against the business establishment and the file was in the custody of one of the directors.

“Within a few days of the killing of Perera, the file went missing and nobody cares about it. The director under whose custody the missing file was kept is still serving in the department but no action has been taken against him or no one at least bothered to inquire about it. We firmly believe that a powerful hand is behind the missing file” the source said.

He also added that customs officials are disheartened as nobody is investigating into the fate of the missing file and ascertain who is responsible for it.